About Josh Pennington

Web developer, tech junkie and Doctor Who aficionado. I've been professionally programming since 2007 but have been passionate about technology since childhood. Specialties include PHP / Zend Framework, but am also experienced with Java, Ruby, Rails and a variety of other languages.

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The Search For A Stylus

I love tablet computing. A portable computer that can do about 90% of what a laptop can do for me. It plays games, I can surf the Internet, even do some of the lighter parts of my job (like checking sales, viewing reports, etc).

However, there is one thing I want it to do, that has constantly come up short so far. Note taking. I have tried everything. I have used both the software and Bluetooth keyboards. Both of them just do not feel right. Both are inconvenient when you do not have a table in front of you and I find that it difficult to type and listen to things around me.

The next logical step was to try using a stylus for handwriting. I have about 4 of these things and they are all a total joke. Most of them are like crayons and you could not write a legible sentence to save your life. I even backed the Cosmonaut on KickStarter and that was an even bigger let down.

So today what did I find in Evernote’s new Market? A stylus. The Jot Script Evernote Edition Stylus to be more specific. This one looks like it could be different. First it has a super thin point so I imagine that it will feel less like a crayon. Second, it uses Bluetooth to improve the experience further by allowing you to be able to rest your hand on the tablet without interfearing with your note taking.

The downside? This thing is expensive at $74.95. Also for some reason, I have to pump it full of AAA batteries. I would prefer some kind of USB mini plug or something similar.

I think I am going to preorder this guy. I have a conference where I am going to have to take a ton of notes at and that is just about the most perfect test of any stylus. I’ll have my Evernote Moleskin notebook and pen as a backup in case it falls short of what I need.

Have you had any luck using a stylus on a tablet? Am I chasing the impossible dream here? Let me know in the comments.